Heatinga: It s a pity that I didn t make it alone, but I would like to praise all the players for their hard work.

Hupu September 18th In the first round of the 2025-26 Champions League, Ajax lost to Inter Milan 0-2, regretting that he lost in the home game of the Champions League. But Ajax head coach John Heatingga still praised his team in an interview after the game, saying he saw the players' fighting spirit at the highest level.

"You got an excellent opportunity yourself, but you didn't score, and in the highest level of the Champions League, if you can't seize the opportunity, your opponent will punish you immediately," Hetinga refers to Mika Gucz's one-on-one single chance. "At this level, this kind of moment will be severely punished, and we are not doing well enough in confrontation and fighting."

"In the first half, I saw the players' fighting spirit, a brave Ajax," said the head coach who coached the Champions League for the first time. "Praise some guys and praise all the players for their fighting spirit, and beyond that, this is really what Ajax looks like."

When asked how Ajax will digest this game in preparation for the top battle against PSV this weekend, Heatinga said: "Digest this game first, and then we will focus on PSV tomorrow. In the first half, we have proven that we have the ability to compete at the Champions League level."